Rozumiem

Rozumiem is the first-person singular present tense form of the Polish verb rozumieć, which means “to understand.” It is widely used in everyday speech to express comprehension, acknowledgment, or agreement, for example in response to an explanation or instruction.

The verb rozumieć is imperfective, indicating ongoing or general understanding. Its present-tense paradigm (singular to plural) is: rozumiem, rozumiesz, rozumie, rozumiemy, rozumiecie, rozumieją. The past tense forms depend on gender and number (for example, rozumiałem for “I understood” by a male speaker, rozumiała for a female speaker, rozumieliśmy for “we understood”). A related, perfective verb is zrozumieć, used when emphasizing a completed act of understanding.

Usage and nuance: rozumiem often conveys immediate comprehension in a dialogue, including accepting instructions or agreeing with a statement. It remains distinct from zrozumieć, which more strongly implies grasping something fully or realizing a point at a particular moment. Negation is formed as nie rozumiem, meaning “I do not understand.”

Common phrases and variants: Rozumiem, co masz na myśli. (I understand what you mean.) Rozumiem cię. (I understand you / I hear you.) Czy rozumiesz? (Do you understand?) The form is versatile across registers, from casual conversation to formal discussion.

See also: rozum, the noun meaning “understanding,” and zrozumieć, the perfective counterpart. The verb shares cognates in other Slavic languages, such as czeski rozumím and rosyjski понимаю, reflecting a common semantic root across the family.